Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat. Inappropriate and overuse of antimicrobials is known to cause increased AMR. Neonates are a vulnerable population for infections, and neonatal sepsis is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Therefore, antimicrobials are among the commonest drugs prescribed in neonates, more so as empirical therapy.
Higher use of antimicrobial therapy is known to be associated with increased risk for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and late-onset sepsis (LOS). Therefore, there is an urgent need to optimize antimicrobial use in neonatal care settings. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) deals with the right use of antibiotics, in the right patient, at the right dose, for the right duration and through the right route. The broad principles of antimicrobial stewardship are the same across all age groups and settings and can be implemented…
